Harness-buckle.



No. 879,077. PATENTED FEB. 11, 1908.

- 1). H, YOUNG.

' HARNESS BUCKLE.

APPLIUATION FILED MAR 12, 1907.

[/VVENTOR.

A TTOR/VEYS Maj-humus PETERS co., wAsmuaroh, n. c.

UNITED STATES OFFICE.

DANIEL H. YOUNG, OF MANCHESTER, IOWA, ASSIGNOR TO SAMUEL ROSS YOUNG, OFMANCHESTER, IOWA.

HARNE SS-B UCKLE T 0 all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, DANIEL H. YOUNG, a citizen of the United States,residing at Manchester, in the county of Delaware and State of Iowa,have invented a new and useful Harness-Buckle, of which the following isa specification.

The present invention relates to improvements in buckles, and moreespecially to that class employed in connection with leather fasteningstraps of harness, belts, and like devices, and it has for its object toprovide a buckle of an improved construction that may be readily appliedto straps of leather, or other suitable material, and which is providedwith keepers arranged to cooperate with the straps in such a way thataccidental unfastening of the buckle is impossible, and, furthermore, ithas for its object to provide a buckle that may be constructed at asmall cost"and is capable of being applied to harness or leather withoutthe necessity of doubling and stitching, as is necessary with anordinary buckle.

To these and other ends, the invention consists in certain improvementsand combinations and arrangements of parts, all as will be hereinaftermore fully described, the novel features being pointed out particularlyin the claims at the end of the specification.

In the accompanying drawing, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a buckleconstructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2' is a view of thebuckle applied to a strap, the parts being shown in unlocked position.Figs. 3 and 4 are views similar to Fig. 2, showing the buckle infastened relation to the strap. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of amodified form of the invention.

Corresponding parts in the several figures are indicated throughout bysimilar charac' ters of reference.

In that form of the invention shown in Figs. 1 to 4, inclusive, thebuckle embodies a pair of lates 1 and 2 arranged to engage at each si eof one end of a strap as, these plates being connected by the portion 3extending across one edge of the strap. These parts are preferablycomposed of a single piece of sheet metal punched out in the pro er formand formed up by suitable dies. Tiie plates 1 and 2 in this case arearranged in parallelism by doubling the blank, the portion 3 connectingthe roximate edges of the two plates. These pIates are pivotallyattached to the Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed March 12. 1907. Serial No. 361.944.

Patented Feb. 11, 1908.

strap by means of arivet, or other suitable fastener 4, which extendsthrough the plates and the strap interposed between them, and the plate1 is provided on its upper surface with a fastening head 5 of anysuitable form, it being shown in Figs. 1 to 4, inclusive, as ofsubstantially a T-form, that is to say, it has projections 6 and 7extending laterally from the sides of a supporting stud 8 toward thelongitudinal edges of the plate 1 to which it is rigidly secured. On oneend of the plate 1 is formed a keeper 9, the latter, in the presentinstance, being provided by doubling a portion of the metal at one edgeof the plate 1 into parallelism with the surface of the latter, and thiskeeper is adapted to receive a strap between it and its supportingplate. On the plate 2 is arranged a keeper 10 which extends upwardlyfrom one of its edges and extends in the same direction as the keeper 9,it being doubled into parallelism with the upper surface of the plate 2and adapted to receive the strap passing between plates 1 and 2, and onelying between the. keeper 9 and the upper surface of the plate 1, bothof the keepers opening toward the same side of the buckle.

In order to apply a buckle of the kind described to a strap, a portionof the latter adjacent to the, end to be doubled is fitted flatwisebetween the parallel plates 1 and 2, and the rivet 4 is applied toprovide a pivotal center for the buckle, as well as to retain the latterin cooperative relation with the strap, and the latter is also providedwith one or more elongated openings 1 1 on the end thereof beyond thatportion which is to form the loop. When the buckle is turned intounfastened position, as shown in Fig. 2, the projections 6 and 7 on thefastening head will extend longitudinally of the opening in the strap,and the latter may be readily applied thereto, and in order to fastenthe buckle, it is only necessary to rotate it into the position shown inFig. 8, that is to say, with its plates 1 and 2 arranged in alinementwith the strap, and as the buckle assumes this position, the keeper 10will slip over the apertured end of the strap and hold the latter incooperative relation with the fastening head, and the keeper 9 will slipbeneath the apertured end of the strap, it being preferably providedwith an inclined or cam surface 12 to facilitate its passagetherebeneath, and to lock the strap, the free end of the latter isinserted beneath the keeper 9.

When the buckle occupies the locked position as just described, thekeepers 9 and 10 will engage the same edge of at least one of thestraps, the keeper 9 engaging the apertured portion of the strap at theinside of the fastening head and the keeper 10 engaging the aperturedportion of the strap, and also the portion thereof extending between theplates 1 and 2, so that rotation of the buckle to an unlocked positionis posi tively prevented until the free end of the strap is disengagedfrom the keeper 9, and when this has been done, the buckle may bereadily unlocked by turning it on its pivot, as this will disengage thekeeper 10 from both straps, as shown in Fig. 2, and the free end of thestrap may be easily disengaged from the fastening head.

In that formof the invention shown in Fig. 5, the buckleproper issimilar to that shown in Figs. 1 to 4, except that the fastening head isprovided with a single projection 6 and it is also provided with asupplemental keeper 14 which is provided to lock the free end of thestrap in cooperative relation with the keeper 9, and for this purpose itis so applied that its opening extends in a direction opposite to thoseof the keepers 9 and 10. The supplemental keeper shown in the presentinstance is also preferably composed of sheet material embodying a pairof attaching members 15 and 16 adapted to be doubled on opposite sidesof one of the straps and riveted or otherwise suitably secured thereto,and the body portion thereof is doubled into parallelism with theattaching members to form a receptacle for the free end of the strapbeyond the keeper 9. After the buckle has beenturned to the fastenedposition, as described in connection with that form shown in Figs. 1 to4, the free end of the strap is first inserted into the opening of thekeeper 9 by a turn of the strap in one direction, and the strap is thenturned in a reverse direction to introduce it into the reverselyarranged opening of the keeper 14, after the manner of lacing a shoe,and as the openings of the keepers 9 and 14- are in reversedarrangement, accidental disengagement of the strap relatively to thekeepers cannot occur.

A buckle constructed in accordance with my present invention isparticularly adapted enabling buckles constructed in accordance with thepresent invention to be sold at a reasonable price.

What is claimed is 1. A harness buckle adapted to be pivotally attachedto a strap and having a fastening head thereon adapted to coo aeratewith an aperture in the strap, and keepers arranged to engage the samelongitudinal edge of the strap permitting a relative turning movementbetween the latter and the buckle, and serving to retain the aperturedportion of the strap in cooperative relation with the fastening head.

2. A buckle adapted to be pivotally at tached to a strap and having afastening head thereon capable of engaging and disengaging an aperturedportion of the strap, when the buckle is turned relatively thereto, andkeepers both opening toward the same side of the buckle and cooperatingwith the same longitudinal edge of the strap for preventing turningmovement of the buckle.

3. A buckle adapted to be attached pivotally to a strap having afastening head thereon provided with a laterally turnedprojectioncapable of being engaged and disengaged relative to a slottedportion of a strap when the buckle is turned into a position out ofalinement with the strap, said projection cooperating with the slottedportion of the strap to prevent its disengagement from the strap whenthe buckle is in alinement therewith, and keepers arranged on oppositesides of the pivotal center of the buckle and arranged to cooperate withthe edge of the strap to lock the buckle in alinement therewith.

4. A buckle embodying a pair of plates arranged in parallelism andadapted to lie on opposite sides of a. strap, a pivot for connecting theplates to the strap for permitting relative movement of the latter andthe strap in the plane of the sides thereof, a fastening head on theoutside of one of said plates adapted to cooperate with an aperturedportion of the strap, a keeper on each plate at opposite sides of saidpivot, and opening toward the same side of the buckle and adapted toreceive the strap between them and their respective plates forpreventing rela tive turning movement of the buckle and strap.

5. A buckle comprising a body portion com osed of sheet materialembodying a pair of p ates arranged substantially in parallelism andconnected at one side, a fastening head on one of the plates adapted tocooperate with an apertured portion of the strap, a keeper arranged onthe plate carrying the fastening head and attached to said plate at thesame side that is attached to the cooperating plate, and a second keeperarranged on the cooperating plate and closed or attached thereto at thesame side'at which the latter some is ciniiected to the plate having thefastening 6. Abuckle comprising a pair of cooperatively arranged platesadapted to receive a strap between them, said plates being connected forsimultaneous movement, a pivot connecting said lates pivotally to thestrap, a fastening hea arranged on the outer surface of one of theplates and adapted to cooperate with an apertured portion of the strap,a keeper on the plate carrying the fastening head and adapted tocooperate with the portion of the strap fastened by the latter, and akeeper on the cooperating plate adapted to cooperate with the ortion ofthe strap secured by the fastening liead and also the portion engagingbetween the plates, said kee ers opening toward the same side of thebuckle and cooperating with the edges of the strap to revent relativepivotal movement of the buc e and the strap.

7. A buckle ada ted to be pivotally attached to a strap having afastening head thereon adapted to cooperate with an a ertured portion ofthe strap and capable o being locked and unlocked by a re ative turningmovement of the buckle and strap, keepers on the buckle opening towardthe same side thereof and on opposite sides of its pivotal point andadapted to cooperate with portions of the strap to prevent unlockingmovement of the buckle, and a supplemental keeper adapted to be securedto a portion of the strap adjacent to one of the keepers first mentionedand having its opening reversely arranged relatively thereto and adaptedto cooperate with the apertured portion of the strap to prevent itsdisengagement from said keepers. I

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto afiixedmy signature in the presence of two witnesses.

Q DANIEL H. YOUNG. Witnesses:

HUGH CLEMANS, W. R. BLAKE.

